In the last year or so I have gotten into the habit of trying the same subject several times, different formats, different sizes and/or palettes and I love the explorations this sends me in.... it’s always a road to new discoveries but most of all it satisfies my curiosity when I say for instance ‘what would it look like if’.... I’m always curious... this particular painting was inspired by a watercolour I did on the boat last year, tried it an 8 x 10 oil, then said, what if I do it square, oooohhh I like this, I want to make it bigger which turned into what if I try it long and skinny and voila. That was a bit of the thinking process behind it. I like this format! And doesn't it look good in that room?? Hope you like it!

I love working in many different sizes. I like small pieces because I am able to finish a piece in a relatively short period of time. They also help me figure out elements and have also become the jumping point sometimes for bigger works. Last February I painted several boats and as I was very happy with what happened with a few of them, I decided to go a bit bigger and combine them into this bigger one. You can see this painting as well as several other ones at South Shore Gallery in Sooke. It's an 18x24 Oil on Canvas called Island Racing.

As you may know, we spend a lot of time on the water especially in the summer. We get to enjoy weekends or extended times on our sailboat, we typically drop anchor and spend the night in quiet bays. When the activity of the day starts slowing down, the day is over, and everybody gets tucked in for the night, you get to see cosy views like this one. I wonder, are they playing cards inside? Board games, reading? Times like these are usually "unconnected" times, with no or very limited Internet access. That's what we usually do, marathon board games, cards championships that last the whole trip and create good memories. "Evening on the water" is an 8x8, oil on canvas and it's available at South Shore Gallery in Sooke.

Marcela Strasdas

I am an artist living in Victoria, BC, Canada. I love to paint the beauty around me, capture moments and memories. I paint because the process gives me immense pleasure and joy. I paint because it allows me to remember places I have been to, moments I have lived. Just like music can in an instant transport you to a different time, my art has the ability to take me back in time and place and put a smile on my face. I paint because it allows me to imagine my next trip or my next walk in the woods. It mean it to be an invitation for you to pause and just simply enjoy the moment. Hope you enjoy my art!Click Here to go to archived Blog Posts